Missing Pieces
by jazznsmoke
Summary: Don't Walk Away's sequel: Missing Pieces The Missing Pieces of the Prison and Claimed family. R
1. Part One

**Daryl**

"Daddy?" My three year old daughter asked. I looked down at her in her light blue, mud covered shirt; she just got done having a mud fight with her little brothers.

"Yeah, baby girl?"

"Who's that?" She pointed towards the gate of our home. I'd recognize that Sheriffs hat anywhere.

"That'd be yer big brother, baby. Go inside an' get yer mama, Uncle Joe, Aunt Maggie an' Uncle Glenn." She took off running into the house and I kept my eyes on the gate, waiting. Maggie and Glenn were the first out. "Maggie, tell ya sister ta leave the kids with Carol, would ya? Me'n Glenn are gonna go down," I motioned towards the gate and watched Maggie's and Glenn's eyes widen. Maggie nodded once and ran inside.

"That Carl?" Glenn asked.

"Think so. Know anyone else who wears a sheriffs hat?" I started walking towards the gate. Surprised no one on watch has come to say anything about a person approaching. Joe and me are going to have to have a talk about letting our guard down. We got close enough that I could tell for sure it's him.

"Daryl? Glenn?" He called out, disbelief heavy in his voice.

"Never thought we'd see you again." Glenn called out, closing the distance between him self and the gate. I haven't said anything yet to Carl. How am I supposed to tell him that I've claimed his little sister as my daughter? I can barely look at Carl and he doesn't even know Ass Kicker's alive yet.

"Ya alone?" I asked, finally finding something to say as Glenn got the gate opened.

"No, Michonne's hidden in the closest town. Is it just you two?"

"Nah, reunited wit' a bunch o' us." Soon as I said that Maggie, Beth and Joe came running up. Beth hugged Carl right away and started crying. She pulled away from him and leaned into me. Carl's eyes widening is almost comical. I would have laughed if I weren't stressing about telling him about his sister.

"We've gotta lot ta talk 'bout," She said and Carl nodded.

"Carl, this is Joe." Glenn cut in. They said hello and then Carl looked at each of us, silently pushing for us to explain.

I looked down at my wife and took a deep breath. I listed off everyone from the prison that's with us. "And Judith."

A flurry of emotions crossed his face; Sorrow, joy, relief, excitement. "She's alive?" He asked, taking a step forward.

"Yeah. We need ta talk 'fore ya see 'er." I stated, hating to say it. We don't know what's happened to him in the past couple of years. He might not be the same boy we knew. I'm not putting my family in danger. Me and Beth talked about the possibility of finding Carl and Rick again and as time went on we decided if we could we'd make sure we know what kind of men they've become. It's clear Carl's no longer a boy on the cusp of manhood. He's even got a little bit of a beard going. I watched as Carl tensed up even more, having not fully relaxed yet. "We got our own security 'fore we let others in. Jus' like we did at the prison,"

"Please Carl. We jus' gotta be sure it's safe. We can't take any risks. It's been a long time." Beth jumped in. I can hear the pleading in her tone. Carl relaxed again, but still somewhat tensed. His soft spot for her apparent even after two and a half years.

"Alright," He agreed.

"Peace of mind, can I have your weapons 'till you talk?" Joe asked. Carl hesitated and then pulled a pistol from his holster and a machete from a homemade sheath on his back, handing them to Joe. "Thank you, son. I think Maggie, Glenn and I will go inside and help Carol."

"Thanks, man." I said as Joe clapped me on the shoulder and motioned for Maggie and Glenn to follow.

"You'll get it back soon's we're done." I reassured Carl. I know how it feels to be parted from your weapons.

"Let's sit," Beth nodded towards the ground at our feet and we all sat. "Tell us what happened after the prison, Carl. Then we'll tell ya our story."

"Me and Dad made it out. Holed up in a house. Dad was in real bad shape, the governor beat him bad. We holed up for a few days in a house, couple towns over. Michonne found us. When dad healed enough to keep going we left and just kept goging. We ran into a group. We killed them all, but they beat dad worse than the Governor did, and he still wasn't even fully healed. He died a few days later. Michonne took care of him…" He trailed off, taking a moment before continuing. "it's been me and Michonne for two years. We've avoided other groups since then. She messed up her knee. I've spent the last four or five months trying to convince her to look for other people to join with. She finally agreed when she got hurt. I've been looking around this area for a week. I've seen signs of people and not many walkers. Turns out it was you. Gave up hope of finding any more of our family a long time ago." You could tell he left a lot out of his story but I didn't see a reason to make him tell us every detail.

"I'm so sorry 'bout Rick,"

"Me too, Sorry about Hershel."

Beth started telling Carl our story, how we got out, her kidnapping, my meeting up with Joe, rescuing her and finding Tyreese, Carol and Judith, our time searching and fortifying our current home. She stopped when it got time to tell her the part about deciding to claim Judith as my daughter. It's my turn to tell the story. I've practiced this in my head over and over, these past two years. "Ya know I always loved Ass Kicker." I started, "Loved her like my own. Beth's always been 'er mama. Found myself wantin' ta be more ta her. Joe gave me a kick in the ass. Consider her my own. She calls me daddy, but we've always told her 'bout ya, Rick an' Lori." I waited for him to yell and get mad, tell me that it isn't my place. To hate me. I flinched when I felt Beth's hand grab mine. Long time since I've felt this insecure and flinched away like that from her touch. I can feel her eyes on me.

"I'm glad it's you." He announced after a few minutes.

"Ya are?"

"Yeah," I feel like I can breath again. I ran my hand through my hair. Beth started telling our story again, telling him about my proposal to her and her getting pregnant, how we found out. Then she told him about our wedding and eventually got to the birth of our sons, Shawn and Merle. He listened and nodded but didn't interrupt.

"I want to see my sister and I have to get back to Michonne." He said as Beth finished.

Beth and I looked at each other. We don't need words to discuss most things, never really have. We know each other better than we know ourselves. I gave her the slightest nod, telling her I think it's okay. In the past two years she's trusted my judgement completely. She's only disagreed with me twice and I followed her lead both of those times. Things would have gotten ugly if I hadn't.

"C'mon. Take ya to her. I've always hoped we'd all find a way back to each other." Beth announced, standing up.

* * *

It took a long time to get this started. Sorry about that. I hope you guys enjoyed Part One. I think this will only be two or three chapters long. R & R


	2. Part Two

**Beth**

I led Carl into our farmhouse with Daryl by my side. A glance at his face told me he's having a hard time with this. I know how worried he's always been about finding Carl and Rick again and what they'd think of him for loving her and taking her as one of his children. I know how much he loved and respected Rick. We all did, but Rick was like a brother to Daryl.

I opened the front door and ushered Daryl and Carl in. Maggie and Glenn are sitting in the living room. Knowing my sister she's probably just been waiting on us to come in. "Joe's up with Carol an' the kids."

"Thanks" I smiled at my sister and brother-in-law, but kept moving through the house. I pointed out various things proud of the home we've created.

"How are you all comfortable in here?" Carl asked, "It seems so cramped,"

"We been talkin' 'bout adding on to this place or buildin' another small house or somethin'. Bigger the kids get the smaller the place feels. Most o' us work around the place, so durin' the day it ain't so bad." Daryl explained.

"Me, Daryl an' the kids all have the attic to ourselves, the main floors have more room cause o' it."

I led Carl and Daryl upstairs to the stairwell leading to the attic. I smiled at them both and then went up the last bit, pushing the door open. The twins and Judy stopped playing as soon as they noticed us and came running across the room to me and their daddy.

"Mama, Daddy! Aunt Carol an' Uncle Joe won't stop ticklin' us!" Jude announced launching herself at Daryl. The boys were giggling and tucking themselves against my legs, half undressed from their mud fight earlier.

"Ya mean like this?" Daryl started tickling her as soon as she was tucked against him. I stepped more into our room, pulling our sons along. Joe and Carol stood up and we watched Carl's face as he took in the sight of his little sister. He looked in awe. Daryl stopped tickling her and set her down, kneeling next to her. "Got someone I want'cha ta meet, baby girl." He pointed to Carl.

"That my big brother?" She asked. For only being three she's smarter than any child I've ever spent any time with.

"Yup it is. Ya gonna go say hi?" He asked. Every time I see him with our kids I'm amazed. I know how much trouble he's having with this, and how hard he's working at not shutting down like he used to do when his emotions get overwhelming. Judith looked at Daryl then Carl and then to me. I smiled and nodded. She hesitated for a moment before walking over to Carl. I leaned down and picked up Merle, not taking my eyes off Carl and Jude.

Carl knelt down and Judith said, "Hi," Carl didn't take his eyes off her as he said 'hi' back, a tear rolling down his cheek.

"Why ya cryin'? Are ya sad?" She asked.

"I'm happy," He explained.

"That doesn't make sense," She said matter of fact. Carl looked up from his sister, a silent plea for help on his face.

"He's happy to see ya, honey. Sometimes tears mean somethin' good." I explained.

"Oh," she looked at Carl and back at me. "I'm happy too, mama. Am I s'posed to cry too?"

"Not 'less you wanna."

"Nope. I don't like cryin'." She surprised us all by hugging Carl.

* * *

"What're your plans, Carl? Ya gonna come back?" I asked.

"If I'm not intruding on your family." He commented.

I'm glad it's just me and him right now. "Carl Grimes, you're family. Always have been, always will be. You have a home here if ya want it an' a space in our lives."

"Sorry," His eyes dropped to the floor and he looked sheepish.

"Lotta take in," I said, patting his shoulder. Daryl and Joe came out to the porch, joining us. "Daryl, why don't ya take the van an' go with Carl, get Michonne an' bring her home? She's hurt an' won't be walkin' here. I hate when ya leave but I know you'll always come home to us." I didn't give Carl much choice in the matter. To my amazement no one argued with me. It still amazes me that our family just up and listens to what I have to say and then does it.

* * *

I went upstairs and got the kids so they can say bye to daddy and Jude can say bye to Carl, too.

"Why ya leavin', Daddy?" Judith asked.

"Gonna go wit' yer brotha an' get a friend."

"He's comin' back, right?"

"Yeah, Ass Kicker, he's comin' back."

"Be safe daddy." She gave Daryl a quick kiss on the lips then a hug. Daryl gave both the boys kisses and hugs. Both of them clinged to him, not wanting Daddy to leave. He held them until they were ready to let go on their own. It's like this every time he goes on a run or hunting.

As soon as Jude finished saying her goodbyes to daddy she came to stand next to me. I looked down at her she looked back up at me. She holds herself like she's so much older than three. She's insightful and knows so much more than three year olds should. My little girl is something of a genius.

"Mama?" She's still looking up at me.

"Hmm?"

"'M gonna say 'bye ta my brotha." She still has that little bit of a babies lisp on top of she talks just like Daryl does, mimicking his accent. So long as she picks up his good traits and not the bad ones, like his cursing. The boys talk like he does too, but for the most part they have better grammar than daddy.

I couldn't stop the smile that took over my face as Judy walked over to her older brother. Carl's eyes widened in surprise and his mouth formed an 'O' as she stood in front of him. Carl stood there for a bit just staring. Judith waited patiently for him to bend down to her level. I looked over at Daryl, the boys still in his arms, watching Jude and Carl interact.

Carl went from being the surly eighteen or so year old man to the fourteen or fifteen year old boy we all knew and loved, shy and awkward with his sister. "If yer my brotha does that make ya Shawn an' Merle's brotha too, Carl?" She asked. I looked back over at Daryl, catching his nod just in time, then back over to Carl who's staring at me. He doesn't know what to say, that's clear as day.

"We're all family, Jude. Carl's your brother jus' as much as he's Shawn an' Merle's brother." Makes it easier down the road to explain the dynamics to the twins when they're old enough and actually want to know.

Carl smiled at me appreciatively, thankful I answered for him. Lucky for him, me and Daryl have been answering hard questions like that since she was old enough to form questions. It doesn't really faze us much, now. Judith accepted my answer, throwing herself at Carl. Carl fell flat on his butt as he caught her, wrapping his arms around her tiny waist. She's definitely not shy. But with Carl it doesn't surprise me how affectionate she is with him already. She's been excited to meet him since we first mentioned him, listening to every detail we said about him. She's even drawn pictures of him. Somewhere its just Carl with her next to him, holding hands. Others it's Jude, Carl, Shawn and Merle in the picture all holding hands. Little stick figures that she would have some one write names over the heads of each person in the picture, for her.

The twins let go of daddy and threw themselves on top of Judith and Carl. Daryl stood up and wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me into his side. I tilted my head up, "S'pose we jus' gained another kid,"

"S'pose so," He said, looking a little green.

* * *

A/N: There is going to be one or two more parts to this, equaling a max a total of 4 parts. Sorry it took so long to post, but I wanted it to be perfect. I wasn't in a rush to get it out.


	3. Chapter 3

**Daryl POV**

I heard what you said in there, about gaining another kid. You can't replace my dad, ya know. Not for me. But I'm glad my sister has you and Beth. I'd like to be a part of your family, if I can." Carl broke the silence. Other than telling me where I'm going this is the first we've spoken.

"Never wanted ta replace him. Never thought I could. I jus' wanna do right by him an' give ya an' yer sister a family, ya know?"

"Yeah, I know. I'm thankful for that." He paused and looked around. "It's right up there. I'm going to go in and get her. She'll spook if anyone else comes in with me. Even if it's you. Give me time to explain things."

What the hell kind of shit did they go through? I followed Carl's directions and pulled in, alert for any walkers. While Carl went in I stayed outside, waiting 45 minutes, and took care of any walker that got to close. I took care of 4 before they came out, Michonne leaning heavily on Carl. Michonne got into the back seat and Carl climbed into the front. I got in and looked at her through the rear view mirror. "Take it Carl filled ya in?"

"Yeah, he did." She eyed me warily.

"Yer both welcome with us as long as ya'd like. Like we told Carl, y'all are family. Always have been."

She nodded and stared out the window in silence as I drove us home. We didn't see any walkers on the drive back. Carl asked me questions about his sister and what he missed of her growing up so far and I told him about it until we pulled up to the gate. Liam and Joe opened the gate quickly and moved aside. I pulled up to the front porch and everyone crowded out, Beth and Maggie holding the twins and Ass Kicker.

Michonne and Carl were greeted happily and Michonne even hugged everyone from our prison family. Beth and Carol got Michonne and Carl situated in a room, moving two men out of their room, (at their insistence) and giving them their own space.

The house became a little more crowded, with Michonne and Carl, but no one complained. Fuck, we all loved having them around. Michonne and Carl soon got to be a big part of the group, like Michonne was before the prison fell, and like Carl should have been, if we all hadn't been separated. Carl and Ass Kicker quickly became close and Carl took to the twins as his own brothers too. Hell, every now and then when he wanted to be a shit he'd call me daddy and Beth mama just to fuck with us. It got a big old chuckle out of him. Everyone seemed to find it hilarious. I didn't bother Beth much, and it really didn't ever bug me much. Threw me off my game for awhile, but then it stopped bugging me. Just took time to wrap it around my head that he was saying it to me as him, not cause he was talking to one of his siblings.

Within a month of Carl and Michonne joining up with us we decided we needed to do something about making more space for us all to live. Damn crowded and there was no breathing space. Not to mention the kids make it rough on the rest of the group to sleep or do anything. Their "aunts and uncles" wrapped around their grubby little hands.

"We need to do something about more space. Think it's time we moved on?" Joe questioned.

"Hell nah. We got a good set up here. It ain't safe on the road. Not wit' three little ones. We got everything we need here."

"What do you propose we do, then?"

I thought about it for awhile before replying. "We keep joking about building another house. Why don't we actually do it? Me, Beth an' the kids can move out there, an' that'll create a helluva lot more room,"

"Ya think it's smart, that we could pull something like that off?"

"I worked construction a little 'fore the world went ta shit. An' Ty knows his way around a hammer. Between us all I figure we can get a place up and decently put together before too long. We got most the shit we need here, but we'll need some more stuff."

"If you think we can pull this off, without attracting too much walker attention than I'm all for it, Daryl."

Beth got all sorts of excited when I told her the plan for a little house on the property. "Oh! That'll be so good! Everyone's going to have a little bit more room this way!"

Next day me and a bunch of the guys went on a run and found the rest of the things we could possibly need for the house.

We had the equipment and everything up and started within a week of deciding we'd build another place. With all the extra noise and commotion the walkers were more attracted to our home, we got three times as many piling up at the fences cause of it. We had to have extra people on watch for the next year that it took to build the house. Took longer than any of us wanted, with all of us that weren't on watch or runs, working our asses off. But it got done. We built the place bigger than we'd originally planned. We built it with 5 bedrooms. Three of the bedrooms side by side and only separated by a thin piece of wood that took up 3/4 to be a doorway in between each of those three rooms, connecting the 3 kids' rooms. Then a room across the way for me and Beth and one across the house for Michonne.

Year went by without much shit happening. Had a few close calls with the walkers but once we stopped making all that noise with building the house, the walkers knocking at our front door dwindled again. The Twins got their own room, directly across the hall from me and Beth, Judith got her own room, next to the twins with Carl's room on the other side of hers. They all seemed to love the arrangement and it made me and Beth feel better about not having the kids in the same room as us, like in the attic. Course I didn't sleep the first month in the house, having to get up and check on them all every little while. Michonne and Beth were almost as bad as me. I even caught Carl checking on the boys and Ass Kicker a few times. What he don't know is that I check on him too.

* * *

5 years went on by. The kids big as hell, and smarter than smart needs to be. We started farming on the land, not just a garden but a honest to God fucking farm. Over the years we found more and more survivors and brought them in. We had to build three more houses to fit everyone. Had more than 30 people join up with us and stay. Some people only stayed for a little while before moving on. All my kids learned to hunt and track, and I teach them how to fight and protect themselves every day.

Carl's found himself a girl friend with one of the girls that joined us. Beth keeps telling me that they're the forever kind of love, like me and her.

* * *

10 years later, Beth was right. Carl and that girl, Madelyn, they're the forever kind of love. They're expecting a kid now. Even Maggie and Glenn have a little girl now. Judith just turned 18 and she's got all the fucking boys on this farm chasing her. More than once I've held my crossbow on a little fucker that tried to get fresh with my baby girl over the last few years. Ever since she did that growing bullshit and started getting curvy. One boy in particular, Austin, kept on pursuing her. Finally came knocking on the door to our place and asked to speak with me. Asked me if he can date my baby. I figured if he's got the balls to ask me, I'll give him a shot. "Best listen, boy. Ya see this here bolt? It's gonna be goin' through yer heart if ya hurt my baby in any way shape or form. " The kid turned white as a ghost and nodded, agreeing and promising he'd never hurt her. "An' if ya try an' get fresh wit' her? Ya won't be worryin' 'bout a bolt through yer heart. You'll lose yer tongue, an' all ya fingers. Feed 'em ta the walkers and make ya watch."

He hasn't broken her heart yet. And far as I know he hasn't gotten fresh with her either. He also stays out in the open with her at all times, where me or someone else can keep an eye on them.

"Baby, ya gotta lighten up. She's a good girl. She isn't going to do anything she isn't ready for. Besides, between you and Carl watching her 24/7 nothing is ever going to happen." Beth's constantly trying to get me to lighten up on protecting her.

The twins are the least of my worries. Shawn's like his uncle Merle was, when we were kids.

Protective and a hellion. They're both protective and hellions. But Merle's more like Hershel and Beth. Sweet tempered and caring and not as hyper as his brother. Shawn and Merle are always trailing after me, Joe, Carl, And Glenn, learning and doing what we do. The twins are expert trackers and pranksters.

Beth's started talking about wanting to have another kid. Figured if she wants one I won't tell her no. Not if it'll keep her smiling that smile that lights up my world, keeps me going. Still got the same fears I had when she was pregnant with the boys. But she's got enough faith for the both of us that things will be okay.

Things could have been a lot worse for us, for my family, for the prison group. But we all found our way back to each other, like Beth believed we would. We found more people and brought them into our family, but our core family only grew a little. We even settled in enough and made a memorial for all those we lost along the way. Jayne climbed the tallest tree in the yard and carved names into the bark as folk called names out to him. Every time we get new additions we add names. Jayne goes up the tree each week and adds names from a list that we make as people think of loved ones they lost.

We found our missing pieces, and we're all together again.

* * *

A/n: There it is. The end of Missing Pieces and DWA. I hate to see this story end, but, with the end of this one (and a couple other stories getting finished in the next week, I'll be able to start on new projects)

Also, may I just mention: 3 updates in a row! Holy crap! Should be another update tomorrow, as well.

Let me know what you think of the ending!


End file.
